Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST,Anonymous
Date: 08 Apr 25 - 05:26 PM

Down by the banks of the hanky panky, where the bull frogs jump from bank to banky, with the eeps, iips, opes, oops, oop daly oop in the oop flop flop, Pepsi Cola, Ginger Ale, Ginger Ale, Ginger Ale, Ginger Ale, Ginger Ale, Pepsi Cola, Ginger Ale, 7 up, 7 up, 7 up, you’re out.

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST,Baron
Date: 09 Dec 24 - 01:53 PM

My daughter and her friends used to sing something like this, would've been about ten years ago or so. Santa Monica, CA.

Down by the banks of Beverly Hills,
Where the girls go shopping and the boys pay the bills,
Sing hip! Hop! Soda pop!
Spill the cappuccino with a heep-hop-hop.

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST,Liam Robertson
Date: 01 Jul 24 - 01:51 PM

For me it goes:
Down by the banks of the hanky panky
Where the bullfrog jumps from bank to banky
Singing fee fi fo fum,
Mesay mesay ding dang dong
I pledge allegiance to the flag
Michael Jackson is my dad
Coca Cola burnt his bike
Now we're talking 7 Up
7 up has no caffeine
Now we're talking jelly beans
Jelly beans ran out of sight
Now we're talking dynamite
Dynamite blew up the school
Now we're talking really cool
10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1
Mickey Mouse had a house
Donald Duck messed it up
Who will pay the con-se-quenc-es
Y-O-U spells YOU!
Tarzan the monkey man
Swinging from a rubber band
He slips
He falls
He breaks his eyeballs
What color was his blood
(The person who the clap lands on says a color)
P-I-N-K

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST,May 21 2024 Midwest 10:37 AM
Date: 21 May 24 - 11:38 AM

I remember it going:

Down by the banks of the Hanky Panky
Where the bullfrogs jump from bank to banky
With an eeps opps soda POPS
Jump on the Lilypad and go KER-PLOP.

(Then who ever said plop was out.)

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Apr 24 - 02:30 AM

Down by the river in the hanky pannky, Oops I said your booty stanky
Oo I skit skat big fat scaly wag, I pleg allegiance to the flag Michael jackson is a fag blah
7 up has no caffeine , Now it's time for billy jean
Billy jean went out of town riding on a pony, stuck a finger up his nose and call it macaroni
#MemphisTN

Some of it..late 1990s and early 2000s

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST
Date: 12 Apr 24 - 10:16 PM

Mine was.

Down by the bank where the hanky pank.
The bull frog jumps from bank to bank.
I say I, e,o,u, ur daddy smells like so do you.
Ping pong ding dong ur daddy smells like king Kong,
A b c d e f g ur momma smells like coffee.


We sung it in a circle hand in hand palms up whoever got smacked at the end of coffee was out until last one standing.

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 30 Mar 24 - 10:28 PM

These versions aren't "wrong," they're all just different. The folk process, illustrated.

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST,anonymous?
Date: 30 Mar 24 - 09:49 PM

wRoNg
its:

down by the banks in a hanky panky
where the bullfrogs jump from bank to banky saying
eeps
eyepps
oepps
ohpps
one fell in and went KERPLOP
i pledge allegiance to the flag
justin bieber makes me gag
mtn dew fell off the mtn
now im drinking from the fountain
fountain broke so now im drinking
plain
old
coke!

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Mar 24 - 01:43 PM

That last one is so close to mine-- we would slap hands while someone sang and whoever had their hand slapped last was out

Down by the banks with the hanky panks
Where the bullfrogs jump from banks to banks
Singing eeps ipes opes oops
Skittle diddle crackle pop
I pledge allegiance to the flag
Michael Jackson makes me gag
Coca Cola has caffeine
Now we're talking jelly beans
Jelly beans are out of sight
Now we're talking dynamite
Dynamite is oh so fun
Now we're talking
Down by the banks with the hanky panks
Where the bullfrogs jump from banks to banks
Singing eeps ipes opes oops
Skittle diddle crackle pop

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST
Date: 01 Mar 24 - 09:58 AM

YALL ARE ALL WRONG!!
Down by the banks with the hanky panky
where the bullfrogs jump from bank to bank
saying eeps ipes opes ooops
skiddle diddle kernel pop
I pledge allegiance to the flag
Micheal Jackson makes me gag
coca cola has caffiene
now were talking jelly beans
jelly beans are out of sight
now were talking dynamite
dynamite is so much fun
now were back to down by the banks
with the hanky panky where the bullfrogs
jump from bank to bank saying eeps ipes opes oops
skiddle diddle kernel pop

(whoever says pop last is out)

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST,EddieIzVeryDed :D
Date: 19 Dec 23 - 06:15 PM

yall r sooo off
the correct version is:

down by the banks of the hanky panks
where the bullfrogs jump from banks to banks
singing eeps ipes opes oops
chilly willy ding dong
i pledge allegiance to the flag
michael jackson makes me gag
coca cola burned his butt
now we're talking 7 up
7 up has no caffeine
now we're talking billie jean
billie jean is out of sight
now we're talking dynamite
dynamite blew up the school
now we're talking really cool
really cool is really neat
now we're talking stinky feet
stinky feet is way tot smelly
now we're talking big fat belly
big fat belly ate too much
now we're talking double dutch
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1!

then the person gets out and stuff
this is the correct version

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST
Date: 09 Dec 23 - 09:49 PM

In Tennessee i learned:
Down by the river by the hanky panky where the bullfrogs jumped from bank to banky saying A E I O U bamboo, sugar is sweet and so are you so bing bang bong youre OUT

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST
Date: 05 Dec 23 - 07:32 PM

Down by the bank with the hanky panky
And the bull frogs jump from bank to banks
And a hip hop sody pop
Skittle skittle sody pop
I pledge allegiance to the flag
Justin beiber makes me gag
7up, Mountain Dew
Mountain Dew fell of the mountain
Now we’re drinking from the fountain
Yesterday the fountain broke
Now we’re drinking plain old Diet Coke

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST,Guest - Northern Michigan
Date: 01 Nov 23 - 09:29 PM

We sang this in elementary (so somewhere between 1993 and 1997.)

All I can remember is “down by the bank of the hanky lanky where the bullfrogs jump from bank to bank, with an e-I-o-u, in goes out and out goes you.”

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST,Lali - Tucson, Arizona
Date: 25 Oct 23 - 08:37 PM

We sang two versions at my school I think but this is the one I remember.

Down by the banks of the hanky panky
where the bull frogs jump from bank to banky
with an e, i , o , u
stick a needle in your shoe
ding, dong, do.

And the person whom "do" landed on was out. There was also one that subbed in at the "with an" part with "with an eeps, ops, soda pops, one fell in and went kerplop" something like this. I heard maybe 3-5 other version at camps in the region as a young kid. This was all from maybe 2001-2007 at the latest. (forgot to include time frame in my original post!)

This was in the northeren part of Tuscon AZ, we had a number of other rhyming songs, not related to Hanky Panky, like "Ms Susie" and "Lemonade Crunchy Ice", and one I learned as a kid in NY "Mrs Mary Mac"

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST,Lali - Tucson, Arizona
Date: 25 Oct 23 - 08:33 PM

We sang two versions I think but this is the one I remember.

Down by the banks of the hanky panky
where the bull frogs jump from bank to banky
with an e, i , o , u
stick a needle in your shoe
ding, dong, do.

And the person whom "do" landed on was out. There was also one that subbed in at the "with an" part with "with an eeps, ops, soda pops, one fell in and went kerplop" something like this. I heard maybe 3-5 other version at camps in the region as a young kid.

This was in the northeren part of Tuscon AZ, we had a number of other rhyming songs, not related to Hanky Panky, like "Ms Susie" and "Lemonade Crunchy Ice", and one I learned as a kid in NY "Mrs Mary Mac"

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Oct 23 - 05:00 PM

I grew up in northestern Wisconsin and the version I learned was

“Down by the banks of the hanky panky
Where the bullfrogs jump from bank to banky
With a
Hip
Hop
Soda pop
And they all go down with a big ker-plop”

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST
Date: 23 Oct 23 - 01:16 PM

all of you are wrong.the right version is
down by the banks of the hanky panky
where the bull frog jumps from bank to bank
with n eeps ops soda pop hey
smackadoodle and he went kerplop
I pledge allegiance to the flag
Justin Beiber makes me mad
pepsi cola burnt his butt
now he's drinking 7-up
7-up has no caffine
now he's drinking gasoline
gasoline is made for cars
now he's shooting up to mars
there's a place on mars where babies smoke cigars
mean wear bakinies and women drink martinis
every step you take is enough to kill a snake
when the snake is dead you put mustard on his head
when the mustard dries you put diamonds in his eyes
when diamonds break it is 1968
mirror mirror on the wall who's the fairest of them all
mickey mouse build a house
donald duck broke it down
who will face the consequences?
Y-O-U

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST,Colorado
Date: 28 Sep 23 - 03:06 PM

Down by the banks of the hanky panky
where the bullfrogs jump from bank to banky
where he heeps, hops, over the tops
and the pink salamander goes ker-plop.

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST,Guest-Kaylie
Date: 27 Sep 23 - 11:13 AM

Down by the bank of the hanky panky
where the bullfrogs jump from bank to banky
With an eep, op, ah, ouuu, ooup flop belly and a ooup flop flop
Pepsi-cola, ginger ale, ginger ale, ginger ale, ginger ale, ginger ale
Pepsi-cola, ginger ale, 7 up, 7 up, 7 up, your out!!

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST,Guest - Northern Michigan
Date: 01 Nov 23 - 09:29 PM

We sang this in elementary (so somewhere between 1993 and 1997.)

All I can remember is “down by the bank of the hanky lanky where the bullfrogs jump from bank to bank, with an e-I-o-u, in goes out and out goes you.”

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST,Lali - Tucson, Arizona
Date: 25 Oct 23 - 08:37 PM

We sang two versions at my school I think but this is the one I remember.

Down by the banks of the hanky panky
where the bull frogs jump from bank to banky
with an e, i , o , u
stick a needle in your shoe
ding, dong, do.

And the person whom "do" landed on was out. There was also one that subbed in at the "with an" part with "with an eeps, ops, soda pops, one fell in and went kerplop" something like this. I heard maybe 3-5 other version at camps in the region as a young kid. This was all from maybe 2001-2007 at the latest. (forgot to include time frame in my original post!)

This was in the northeren part of Tuscon AZ, we had a number of other rhyming songs, not related to Hanky Panky, like "Ms Susie" and "Lemonade Crunchy Ice", and one I learned as a kid in NY "Mrs Mary Mac"

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST,Lali - Tucson, Arizona
Date: 25 Oct 23 - 08:33 PM

We sang two versions I think but this is the one I remember.

Down by the banks of the hanky panky
where the bull frogs jump from bank to banky
with an e, i , o , u
stick a needle in your shoe
ding, dong, do.

And the person whom "do" landed on was out. There was also one that subbed in at the "with an" part with "with an eeps, ops, soda pops, one fell in and went kerplop" something like this. I heard maybe 3-5 other version at camps in the region as a young kid.

This was in the northeren part of Tuscon AZ, we had a number of other rhyming songs, not related to Hanky Panky, like "Ms Susie" and "Lemonade Crunchy Ice", and one I learned as a kid in NY "Mrs Mary Mac"

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Oct 23 - 05:00 PM

I grew up in northestern Wisconsin and the version I learned was

“Down by the banks of the hanky panky
Where the bullfrogs jump from bank to banky
With a
Hip
Hop
Soda pop
And they all go down with a big ker-plop”

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST
Date: 23 Oct 23 - 01:16 PM

all of you are wrong.the right version is
down by the banks of the hanky panky
where the bull frog jumps from bank to bank
with n eeps ops soda pop hey
smackadoodle and he went kerplop
I pledge allegiance to the flag
Justin Beiber makes me mad
pepsi cola burnt his butt
now he's drinking 7-up
7-up has no caffine
now he's drinking gasoline
gasoline is made for cars
now he's shooting up to mars
there's a place on mars where babies smoke cigars
mean wear bakinies and women drink martinis
every step you take is enough to kill a snake
when the snake is dead you put mustard on his head
when the mustard dries you put diamonds in his eyes
when diamonds break it is 1968
mirror mirror on the wall who's the fairest of them all
mickey mouse build a house
donald duck broke it down
who will face the consequences?
Y-O-U

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST,Colorado
Date: 28 Sep 23 - 03:06 PM

Down by the banks of the hanky panky
where the bullfrogs jump from bank to banky
where he heeps, hops, over the tops
and the pink salamander goes ker-plop.

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST,Guest-Kaylie
Date: 27 Sep 23 - 11:13 AM

Down by the bank of the hanky panky
where the bullfrogs jump from bank to banky
With an eep, op, ah, ouuu, ooup flop belly and a ooup flop flop
Pepsi-cola, ginger ale, ginger ale, ginger ale, ginger ale, ginger ale
Pepsi-cola, ginger ale, 7 up, 7 up, 7 up, your out!!

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST,Guest
Date: 23 Jun 23 - 03:47 PM

As kids we obviously didn’t know the words well- we just sang what we thought we heard other people singing and it kind of became telephone…so it makes zero sense. I’m pretty sure we even said “bay” instead of “bank.” But we sang something like…

Down by the bank with a hanky pank
Where the bullfrogs jump from bank to bank
Singing E-I-O
Oooh yo momma stinks and so do you so
Ping pong diddly ding your father smells like old king king
Tell your teacher what to wear, polka dotted underwear
Not too big
Not too small
Just the size of the palm beach mall
Dan Marino’s number is
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1

I guess that was a south Florida version- the palm beach mall doesn’t even exist anymore lol.

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST,MICHIGAN!
Date: 11 Jun 23 - 12:05 AM

down by the banks of the hanky panky
where the bullfrogs jump from bank to banky
with a hip hop soda POP
i pledge allegiance to the flag
michael jackson makes me gag
coca cola burned his butt
now i’m drinking 7up
7up has no caffeine
now i’m drinking billie jean
billie jean went outta sight
now i’m drinking SPRITE
spell it
S
p
R
I
T
E

this is the “correct” version. ????????

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST,Northeast Ohio (2005-2012)
Date: 04 May 23 - 11:01 AM

Down by the banks of the hanky panky
Where the bullfrogs jump from bank to banky
With an eeps opps soda pop
Eeps opps silly and it goes kersplat

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST,Central New jersey
Date: 27 Apr 23 - 10:26 PM

Down by the bank if hanky pank
Where the bull frogs jump from bank to bank
Singing eep op eep op op
Skiddle diddle kernel pop
I pledge allegiance to the flag
Michael Jackson makes me gag
Coca Cola has caffeine
Now I’m drinking gasoline
Gasoline was made by you
Now we’re drinking Mountain Dew
Mountain Dew fell of the mountain
Now we’re drinking from the fountain
Yesterday the fountain broke
Now we’re drinking plain old Diet Coke

( some people used to play with the gasoline line , while others just directly went from Coca Cola to Mountain Dew , skipping the gasoline line , when reciting the rhyme ) !

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST,Kat 2000s an hour south of Chicago
Date: 01 Mar 23 - 11:45 PM

Bullfrog Bullfrog Hanky Pank
Say Bullfrog Bullfrog Hanky Pank
Say fee fi foe fum
Pass it to the next one
Mickey Mouse built a house
Donald Duck mess it up
Who will pay the consequences
Y-O-U spells you are OUT!
(Bullfrog and Bulldog were interchangeable at any given time/day)

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST,Dinah from the 90’s in the south Chicago sub
Date: 11 Oct 22 - 09:07 AM

Down by the farm said hanky pank
Said bulldog bulldog hanky pank
Said fee fi fo fum pass it to the bulldog
Mickey Mouse built a house
Donald Duck messed it up
Who will pay the consequences
Y-O-U and that spell YOU!

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST,leanrd it at camp
Date: 14 Sep 22 - 01:24 PM

i dont know when this came out but this my verison

Down by the banks in the hanky panky where the bull frogs jump from bank to banky with the eeps iips opes oops someone stepped in the bullfrog poop Pepsi Cole ginger ale ginger ale ginger ale ginger ale, Pepsi Cole ginger ale 7-up 7-up 7-up your out

heres the other one

Down by the banks in the hanky panky where the bull frogs jump from bank to banky with the eeps iips opes oops, opp daly opp in the opp flop flop, Pepsi Cole went to town ginger ale shot him down Dr Pepper fixed him up now we drinking 7-up, 7-up 7-up 7-up your out.


We would usually stand in a circle with our palms out to the side, each persons right hand on top of the person beside them’s left hand. As we sang we would pass a clap around the circle by hitting the person on our left’s hand. If you hit someone’s hand on "your out"you got them out.

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST,kar
Date: 06 Aug 22 - 07:29 PM

this is how I did it!

down by the banks of the hanky panky where the bullfrogs jump from bank to bank, said e bop e bop bop skittle dittle kernel pop, i pledge allegiance to the flag, Micheal Jackson makes me gag, coca cola has caffeine, now im drinkin gasoline, gasoline gave me the flu, now im drinkin mt due, mt due fell off the mt now im drinkin from the fountain, yesterday the fountain broke now im drinking cherry coke, cherry coke fell off the tree now im drinking sunny dee, sunny dee fell of the sun now im drinking 7up 7 6 5 4 3 2 1!

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST,An NC native born in 2000
Date: 17 Jul 22 - 07:21 AM

I was in elementary and early middle school from 2008-2012 in North Carolina, U.S., and the version me and the kids in my class would play went like:

Down by the bank with the hanky panky,
Where the bullfrogs jump from bank to bank(y),
Singing east side, west side,
East side, west side
East side, west side
Dilly/diddily dang dong!

We would usually stand in a circle with our palms out to the side, each persons right hand on top of the person beside them’s left hand. As we sang we would pass a clap around the circle by hitting the person on our left’s hand. If you hit someone’s hand on “dong” you got them out, but if they pulled their hand away quick enough and you hit your own, you were out. If you caught yourself and didn’t hit them or you you continued in the game.

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST,Dinonysus
Date: 12 Sep 21 - 06:14 PM

I remember back home, around Salina, KS, we'd sing it
"Down by the banks of the hanky panky
Where the bullfrogs jump from bank to bank-y
With a 'fe-fi-fo-fun'
Micheal Jackson lost his thumb
Now we're talkin' 7-Up
7-Up has no caffeine
Now we're talkin' jellybeans
Red, blue, yellow, green"

Of course I was too young to know who Billie Jean was at that time, though, which is probably where the jellybeans verse came from.

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST,Guest; Ri
Date: 11 Jul 21 - 06:44 PM

Down by the banks with the hanky pank
where the bullfrog jumps from bank to bank
singing eeps iips opes oops
I pledge allegiance to the flag
Michael Jackson makes me gag
Coca cola burned his butt
now were talking 7-up
7-up has no caffeine
now were talking Billie Jean
Billie Jean went out of sight
now were talking dynamite
dynamite blew up the school
now were talking really cool
10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,...1!

and then on 1! whoever had their hand slapped last is out and the game keeps going until it is down to the last player AKA the Winner. ( when there are only 2 players left the 2 players face each other and do the game again to determine the winner!)

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST,LA Version, Again.
Date: 26 May 21 - 04:06 PM

That's how black kids in Louisiana that were born in the 90's play it!

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST,The Louisiana Version
Date: 26 May 21 - 04:03 PM

Down by the riverside
Hanky Panky
Where the bullfrogs jump from bank to bank
I said a a-e-i-o-u beetle juice

I pledge allegiance to the flag
Michael Jackson is so fat
Coca-Cola bust his butt
Now he's drinking 7 Up.
7 Up has no caffeine
Now he's drinking gasoline.
Gasoline was made for cars
Now he's eating candy bars.
Candy bars have too much fat
Now he's driving Cadillacs.
Cadillacs are out of style.
Now. He. Has. To. Walk. A. Mile.

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST,R Duncan
Date: 25 May 21 - 04:28 PM

The one I remember from elementary school in the south was:

Down by the banks of the hanky panks
Where bullfrogs jump from bank to bank
Sayin eeps ips oops oups
Silly Willy ding-dong
I pledge allegiance to the flag
Michael Jackson makes me gag
Coca-Cola burned him up
Now we're talkin 7up
7up has no caffeine
Now we're talkin Billy Jean
Billy Jean was out of sight
Now we're talkin dynamite
Dynamite blew up the school
Now we're talkin really cool
Really cool is really neat
Now we're sittin on the street
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Whoever landed on 1 was out

Really cool to read all the different variations and how far off some of these verses can be. I wonder what the official original of this song was?

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST,ag
Date: 16 May 21 - 05:44 PM

the one i knew (around 2010-12?) went:
down by the bay with the hanky panky
when the bullfrogs jump from bank to banky
with an A, E, I O U,
i pledge allegiance to the flag
that cody simpson makes me gag!
up, up, 7-up,
now we're drinking 7-up
7-up got the flu, now we're drinking mountain dew
mountain dew fell off the mountain, now we're drinking from the fountain
fountain broke, now we're drinking plain old coke

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST,yui
Date: 16 May 21 - 08:54 AM

I heard at camp
Down by the bank with a hanky pank
where the bullfrogs jump from bank to bank
say E I O U
Listen to the words song (probably misheard)
I pledge allegiance to the flag
Michael Jackson is my dad
Pepsi cola burned him up
now he's drinking gasoline
gasoline is meant for cars
Now he's shootin up to mars
there's a place on Mars
where the women smoke cigars
and the men wear bikinis
and the babies drink martinis
every step you take is enough to kill a snake
when the snake is dead
you put mustard in its eyes
when the mustard dries
It is 1948
Mickey mouse builds a house
Donald trump messes up
Mirror mirror on the wall
Who the fairest of them all
Y O U

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST,A southern girl
Date: 14 May 21 - 04:55 AM

I grew up in Memphis and this is how I personally heard the song for the game goes:
Down by the river of hanky Panky
Bullfrog jumps from bank to bank he
Says "ooh! Ah! Skittle skat! Big fat dirty rat!"
I pledge allegiance to the flag, Michael Jackson is so bad
Coca-cola burnin' up, now it's time for seven up
Seven up has no caffeine, now it's time for billy Jean
Billy Jean went out of town riding on a pony
Stuck a feather in his head and called it macaroni
Mickey Mouse had a house
Donald Duck messed it up
Who will pay the con-se-quenc-es
Y-O-U

And the person who's hand gets hit on the last U is the "loser" and is removed from the circle and we keep going with the game

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST,me
Date: 03 May 21 - 10:18 PM

Down in the banks of the hanky panks where the bull frogs jump from bank to bank give me a fee, fie, foe, fum, me say, you say ding dong.

I pledge allegiance to the flag Micheal Jackson is my dad

coco cola fizzes up, now were talking seven up

seven up has no caffeine now were talking jelly bean

jelly bean is out site now were talking dinomite

dinomite blew up the school now were talking REALLY COOL!

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST,Jim Grace
Date: 01 May 21 - 09:11 AM

Seems like the original purpose of this thread is done and I hate to make it longer. Not enough not to do that though!

The ‘down by the banks of the hanky panky’ version I know is very similar to a lot of the shorter one-verse versions here. I was taught (by a teacher or similar) a song with the same tune and shape, to the same try-and-avoid-the-hand-slap circle game, that went:
Down in the jungle where nobody goes
There’s a big fat gorilla, blowing his nose...
[then some sounds that are supposed to be like him blowing his nose. I don’t remember them, sorry!]

I grew up in London, England; my friend who grew up in oxford & cambridge knows the gorilla words but not the frog words. In my school we played ‘oranges and lemons’ more often in the playground - hanky panky was more of a sitting down game.

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST,Columbus, Ohio
Date: 29 Apr 21 - 10:07 AM

Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
Where the bullfrogs leap from bank to banky
With a, fee fi fo fum,
pass it to the next one.

Mickey Mouse built a house,
Donald Duck messed it up,
who will pay the consequences
Y - O - U!

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST
Date: 17 Apr 21 - 06:55 PM

I think I learned a few variations of the chant throughout elementary in the mid to late 2000s in NC, but the ones I best remember are:

Down by the banks of the hanky pank,
Where the bullfrogs jump from bank to bank,
Goin' east side, west side, east side, west side,
Chilly Willy ding dong

I pledge allegiance to the flag,
Michael Jackson makes me gag

Coca-cola burned his butt,
Now we're talkin' Seven Up

Seven Up has no caffeine,
Now we're talkin' Billy Jean

Billy Jean went outta sight,
Now we're talkin' dynamite

Dynamite blew up the school,
Now we're talkin' really cool

10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1

And the other version was the exact same except for the first few verses where it was

Down by the banks of the hanky pank,
Where the bull frogs jump from bank to bank,
Singin' eeps, ipes, opes, opps
Chilly Willy ding dong

But the same second chant.

We'd sit in a circle with one palm on top of one neighbors' and the other underneath our other neighbors' and do like a slap circle. The last two people would sit facing each other with one person's hands palm down in the air and the other person's hands palm up underneath the first pair and they'd go up and down slapping (if that makes sense) and whoever's palms were last palm up and got slapped was the loser.

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST,c
Date: 09 Apr 21 - 10:41 AM

at camp in eastern pa, roughly 2008-2011, it was this:


Down by the banks of the hanky panky
Where the bullfrogs jump from bank to banky
Saying ding-dong ding-dong,
your Momma looks like Donkey Kong
I pledge allegiance to the flag
That Micheal Jackson is my dad.

Pepsi-cola's burning up,
now we're drinking 7-up
7-up has no caffeine,
now we're drinking gasoline
gasoline is bad for you,
now we're drinking mountain dew
mountain dew fell off a mountain,
now we're drinking from a fountain
the fountain broke and now we're drinking
plain, old, di-et, coke

Subject: RE: Origins: Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky
From: GUEST
Date: 20 Mar 21 - 11:29 PM

In 2001 in TN it was :
Down by the river hanky pank where the bullfrogs jump from bank to bank,
Say E, I, O, U
Your mama she says "soda" (this may be been misheard)
You say ding dong donkey Kong,
Went to school with nothing on,
Ask the teacher what she wears,
Polka dotted underwear.
Not too big, not too small,
Just the size of Brown mall.
I pledge allegiance to the flag,
Michael Jackson is a drag.
Coca cola pump it up,
Now we're talking 7Up.
7up has no caffeine,
Now we're talking Billie Jean,
Billie Jean is out of site,
Now we're talking dynamite,
Dynamite blue up the school,
Now we're talking really cool.
Really cool is saying you are out,
O-u-t out.